Jesus the Perfect Passover Lamb

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You're probably familiar with the story of the first Passover. This was the last of the ten plagues God brought against Egypt. We discussed the 9th plague, the plague of darkness, yesterday.

The instructions for Passover were given to Moses, who passed them on to the people, in Exodus 12:

"…each man is to take a lamb … slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs… The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:3, 6, 7, 13, NIV 1984).

This is where the term "Passover" came from: "...I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13).

For those families and homes who did not slaughter the lamb and paint its blood on the doorframes of their homes, the death angel did not pass over them but entered their home and killed the firstborn son.

This is a picture of Jesus, the perfect Passover Lamb. (Tweet that!)

Jesus was sacrificed on Passover. He was perfect, without sin or flaw. For anyone who is willing to accept his blood and apply it to the doorframes of her or his heart, the death angel will "pass over" her or him meaning even though this person dies physically, each will be raised to life for all eternity with Jesus.

Have you believed God? Have you obeyed God? Have you accepted the blood of Jesus as your Passover Lamb? Are you saved from eternal death by his blood? (Tweet that!) If not yet, you can do that today by simply telling him so in prayer.

You're running out of time. (We all are. See the note below the coming lunar eclipses on the next two Passovers, which this year is less than two weeks away.) No more delays. Do it today.

Jesus said, "As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified" (Matthew 26:2, NIV 1984).

Passover is coming. This year, in 2014, Passover begins on April 14^th at sundown and runs through sundown April 15^th. This year, in 2014, and also next year, 2015, there is going to be a total lunar eclipse on Passover. I believe this is spiritually significant. (Tweet that!) We are going to talk more about the coming lunar eclipses that will occur on Passover, as well as on the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall of 2014 and 2015, on posts here from April 9^th through the first eclipse on April 15^th. (Tweet that!) Please be sure to stop back during those days. And please direct your family, friends, and others you care about here also.

You will be able to read more about these spiritually significant lunar eclipses on significant Jewish Feast days in my coming book, Prophecies Fulfilled in the Life of Jesus. (Release date not yet set. To check to see if it's available, please visit my Amazon Author page here.)

Darkness Came Over the Whole Land

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What happens when humankind tries to extinguish the Light of the World (John 9:5)?

The gospel-writer, Mark, records that during the time Jesus was dying, a plague of darkness covered the land. (Tweet that!)

"At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour" (Mark 15:33).

This was not the first time a plague of darkness covered a land. Around 1500 years earlier when the One True God displayed Himself in the land of Egypt and went to battle against the false gods of Egypt defeating each, one at a time, the ninth of the ten plagues was a plague of "darkness that can be felt." Here are the words of Moses describing that time:

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.' So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived" (Exodus 10:21-23, NIV 1984).

When Jesus hung dying, when the Light of Life (John 8:12) was dimming and going out, a similar plague of darkness covered the land. (Tweet that!)

The prophet Amos also speaks of darkness covering the earth in broad daylight in a time which I believe is future to us:

" 'In that day,' declares the Sovereign Lord, 'I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day,' " (Amos 8:9-10, NIV 1984).

We cannot live without light. Do you have Jesus, the Light of Life? (Tweet that!)

Jesus' Life was Poured Out Like a Drink Offering

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Part of the offerings God instructed the Israelites to giving during their worship and sacrifices was the drink offering. One of the first mentions of the drink offering that was to be poured out before the LORD is in Exodus 29:38-41:

"Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin* of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin* of wine for a drink offering. The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord" (ESV).

A drink offering that is poured out is gone forever. It cannot be recovered. It is a sacrifice, an offering to the LORD.

Jesus' life was poured out like a drink offering to pay for the sins of everyone who will accept it. (Tweet that!) During the Last Supper, Jesus said:

"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28, NIV 1984).

Yesterday as we looked at how Jesus was numbered among the transgressors, we looked at Isaiah 53:12. Take another look at this verse and notice how it predicts his life is “poured out,” as if a drink offering:

"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).

We looked at Psalm 22 on Day 21, "He was Crucified." Take another look at verse 14:

"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me," (Psalm 22:14).

Jesus' life was "poured out" for you and for me. He is the sin offering for us, to make atonement for us. He is our Scapegoat and the LORD’s goat. And he became our drink offering, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Tweet that!)

Have you accepted Jesus’ offering, his payment on your behalf for your sins? If not, do so today.

*A hin is about 1 quart or 1 liter.